De Ranke XXX bitter

Apperance

Cloudy gold with large white head

Aroma

Citrus fruits, think grapefruit not lemon with a hint of malt.

Taste

Starts very bitter and the malt kicks in to temper the bitterness. The finish is very dry and bitter.

Overall

Nice, rarity means it this is rated high normal, good summer brew but not as good as the reviews, to bad I brought 33% of my local beershops bottles. 

7.5/10

Old Crafty Hen

Apperance

Mid chestnut with white head that last enough to have touches in the centre and around the glass.

Aroma

Bread like malt with hint of acorns and slight touch of banana.

Taste

Malt at first followed by tanic acorns which is closely followed bitter hops. The finish is nicely balance malt and hops with pleasent bitterness.

Overal

What an oak aged beer should be the oak adding not overpowering the other tastes.

8.5/10

Asahi black

Apperance

Like a porter very dark chestnut, tan head that fades quickly.

Aroma

Dark vinous fruits with a hint of spivy and malt loaf

Taste

Dark vinous fruits come first which is over taken by rich dark slightly burnt malt. The finish is tiny but quite cleaning

Overal

This is a really contrast to yesterday, which had limited taste but nice finish. I would drink it again but not hunt for it.

7/10

Abbey Ales Bellringer

Apperance

Old gold with lasting off white head.

Aroma

Spicy currents and sultarnas with brown bread.

Taste

Slight amount of spicy with malt quite water. The finish is warming and slight bitterness.

Overall

Strange finish is better than the taste would suggest.

6.5/10

Dorothy Goodbody's Country Ale

Apperance
Slighty cloudy orangy amber with slighty off white good head

Aroma
Maybe my nose is off but smell like a chocolate islay whiskey...

Taste

Slighty sweet malt with lovely followed by a hint of chocolate then the rich malt loaf comes which fade to a lovely rounded bitterness. The finish is a touch warm with a lovely balance of malt and rounded bitterness which is so moreish.

Overall

Lovely extra bitter, a new favorite for me.

9/10

Moorhouse's Premier Bitter

Apperance
Pale golden chestnut with large off white head.

Aroma
Biscuit like malt with pepper hops and a touch of citrus.

Taste
The tangy hops with a pleasent carbonastion is the first taste this is balanced by the biscuit malt which fades to slight ferric bitterness. The finish is nice a peppery bitter hops.

Overall
Great English bitter nothing complex just lovely balanced bitter.

9.0/10

Burton Bridge Porter

Apperance

Dark rich chestnut not much head just a bit of off white around the rim

Aroma

Apples and scrumpy cider with an acidic tang with a touch of dark chocolate. Ok strange but smell like an old fashoined butchers, don't know why.

Taste

Tangy apples, scrumpy cider and a touch of chocolate. Finish is long drying bitter and moreish.

Overall

I know some will not like but lovely like the van vollenhaven stout but less creamy with the added flavour of burton water.

8.5/10

Titanic Plum Porter

Apperance

Dark ruby chestnut with off white lasting head.

Aroma

Oddly rasberry jam, with a touch of plums

Taste

Fruit plums of course but balanced by an intense bitterness from the hop with a touch of eartness thrown in. The finish is dry and bitter but always has the plum fruit to add balance.

Overal

My be a bit gimmicky for me, but it works almost, i think it would be better balanced if slightly more subtle brushstrokes were applied.

8/10

Bateman Vintage Ale 2013 release

Today choice is another beer brought back from xmas time

 

Appearance:

Mid chestnut with largeoff white head that rapidly disappears

Aroma:

Acorns and over ripe soft fruits with a touch of earthiness and port.

Taste:

Tannins come first the a very sweet flavour comes to the fore which fades to a more earth tannins flavour the a touch of pepper hops at the least. The finish is not strong and mainly sweet acorns and some fire from the alcohol.

Overall:

Another nice winter warmer but nothing special, not a great fan of oak/barrel aged beers and this continues with this one.

7.0/10

Black Sheep Russian Imperial Stout

Some could argue a very appropriate beer choice given the news.............

 

Appearance:

Very dark chestnut with large head off white tan head that fade but leaves a fair amount behind

Aroma:

Black treacle with  a hint of burnt malt, back up by a pepper alcohol smell

Taste:

Black treacle hits at first then a creamy malt overrides this, touch of acidic ferric flavour cut through followed by a pepperiness com in and the black tracle returns final a fair burn for the abv. The finish is long slightly bitter but balance with the black treacle sweetness and finally a touch drying

Overall:

A nice winter warmer but lacks a bit of complexity to make it worth finding again.

7.0/10

van Vollenhoven Extra Stout

Finally Heineken has allowed somebody into the back catalogue so proper interesting beer can be brewed instead of mainstream mediocrity as brewed 600m from my house.

 

Appearance:

Very dark chestnut with large head off white tan head

Aroma:

Like a lambic that wet hay smell but more rounded due to the malt present

Taste:

Starts sour the malt starts to balance it giving a flavour of sour blackcurrants with creamy malt a hint of smoke as well, pleasant carbonation with nice heat from the alcohol. The finish is ureic kind of like a more mellow scrumpy cider with the benefit of malt and bitter hops.


Overall:

I really like this beer it is familiar but different not one to drink large amounts of but a nice stout, I do fear the barrel aged versions have already been laid down.

8.5/10

Sheperd Neame Spooks Ale

Ok not really the season but what the hell

 

Appearance:

Dark ruby bronze with large head that fade leaving leg and a reasonable head left

Aroma:

Malt with a touch of burnt caramel and a hint of maple syrup

Taste:

Starts with slightly burnt malt which fades to biscuit malt then a touch of hops come in for balance The finish is bitter with a touch of acidity and earthy notes.


Overall:

More burnt than toasted malt imo nothing special but nice enough for a tuesday

6.5/10

Box Steam Tunnel Vision

A British steam beer from Wiltshere

 

Appearance:

Amber lighter than a bitter

Aroma:

Touch of toffee with malts and a hint of apple in the background.

Taste:

Starts with a unpleasant chemical plastic taste which soon disappears as the carbonation kick in a little to much for this style IMO then sweet malt which make it taste like a watered down dubbel abbey beer then some hop which start peppery and fade to a more earthiness. Not much finish slight bitterness and a slight warmness due to the alcohol which is a surprise given the abv

Overall:

That first hit of taste just ruins the rest of beer that could be interesting and the over carbonation means not one for me.

5.5/10